10 Sneaky Content Marketing Tricks for Beginners

Be careful! This article is trapped. Once you start reading it, you'll be forced to finish it.

Our brain is more responsive to specific types of articles more than others. I'll share ten tips to boost shares to make your content more interesting to your audience, boost its shares, and increase your content's reach. Here's why you absolutely need to tailor your content to your audience:

- It's good for SEO. If people stay and share your content more, your positions get better.
- It's good for your brand. If people like what you read, they like you, and they will come back.
- It's good for sales. Whatever you write an article or a script, keeping the interest of your reader, increases your chances of convincing him to buy.

Make no mistake: It's not about what you write, but how you write it. And what will follow, may very well surprise you...

1. The Hook

At the beginning of your article, you should always begin with an impacting statement or a leading question that will make your reader need to know more. For example: "Be careful, this article is trapped!"

Did this beginning entice you read the rest?

You've heard the rule: 8 seconds to convince someone to stay in your website. The same rule apply for everything that needs engagement from your audience.

2. Short sentences

Long paragraphs and sentences take time to read and on the internet, no one has time for that! The longer your paragraphs are, the less likely people will read your article all the way to the end. No one wants to read a wall of text.

If you want to keep the audience's attention?

Start with a short sentence and go to the next line. (Like I did just now!)

3. Use the same words as your target

"SEO", "Brand", "Sales", "Script", "Articles"... these are words that you (hopefully), know and use. If you want to attract people in your industry as a business owner or marketer, use the industry language. By using the same words, I appear more friendly, and you feel more receptive to what I have to say.

One sneaky trick to push the experience even further :

- Send a survey to your audience.
- Grab the words / expressions that are trending.
- Use the EXACT same words or expressions in your texts (Even the most common ones).

4. It's about you

Use the word "you" as much as you can. It makes people feel that they are the center of interest, and that you are speaking to them. We love to read about ourselves or what we can do to improve.

5. Change the tone

Why? It introduces a "break" in the reading by changing the punctuation. Just like that! I mean... like now. (I've inserted "?" / "." / "!" / "()", "..." and I bet you found this very easy to read!).

Again, a break in the reading will "reset" the attention of your reader. And since the reading flows more like a conversation, your reader will stick around longer.

Have you ever find a book too dry to read even when the story is interesting? That's why.

Oh! And don't forget the power of the "..." (Have you seen it here somewhere in this article before?)

6. Use powerful words

Use and abuse power words. Use power words where they create the most impact - at the beginning and the end of your sentences. They will make people want to know what comes next.
Can you spot them here ? "make no mistake" / "surprise" / "powerful" / "this is sneaky" / etc.

7. Promise a benefit

What value or benefit do you provide your reader? This is the main reason why people will continue to read. Promise something at the beginning, and share the benefit a little bit later. Don't share this at the end of the post because people will lose interest and not at the beginning because they will have it too soon. Keep the mystery a little while and promise something that "they want".

If you know your audience, you know what they want to know.

8. Change your words by "emotions".

These simple and empty words you use in everyday conversation will be transformed by adding some emotions in them. We are emotional people and if you want your reader to make a decision, it's best to entice action with emotions.

9. Use lists

- You'll read them
- Quickly
- And easily

Lists are a popular choice when you need full content articles (Like this 10 sneaky tips list!). And lists can be extremely useful resource providers for specific industries, niche businesses, and ego-bait influence engagers.
Want to use this to create your company's selling points? Make big lists of your "customer benefits".

10. Play with the unexpected

Have you ever seen these articles full of funny animated GIF's or memes? Seen almost as often are the uses of bold, italic and underline type. This can be a powerful tool in your content to highlight a specific thought or resource.

For example :

You'll think the "( )" are used to write small details that don't matter? They are used to spotlight important information or footnotes. So write the more important of your content inside.
You'll think that the "P.S." in the end of a letter is used to write a simple reminder? Same thing... It's one of the most-read part of letters and emails.

What now?

You are still here. (And it's a 1000+ words article!) While this article wasn't long, if you stuck around until the end, this proves that the tips shared here have kept your interest. Keep this in mind for your own articles.

Here's what we do in my company:

- We have a checklist of some criteria and a guideline of what we accept.
- The person that writes the article must have experience in the topic.
- Then depending of the importance of the article and if it's a trending topic, we will check if all the needed elements are included and follow our guideline.

If the article needs edits to be fit to post, we change the content. If there is enough information that provides value to our readers, we are good to go!
Take the extra time to ensure your content impacts the reader, provides a valuable takeaway or resource. These small changes will impact the reach of your content and will aid you to develop your main strategy to get traffic leads (and make your audience love you.)

Davy is the CEO and Founder of the Davy Network company, a network of several websites and online courses platforms for people to learn how to create, develop and monetize their business online through Internet Marketing. Davy helps entrepreneurs and brands develop their businesses online through internet marketing strategies and leading them to focus their time on key and effective strategies to get fast and perpetual results.